Pizza Omelette

• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
• Pinch basil
• Pinch Italian seasoning
• Pinch cayenne
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons pizza or spaghetti sauce
• 1/4 cup (rounded) mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup green peppers, diced
• 1/2 cup cooked ham, diced or you can use bacon, sausage or pepperoni

1. Whisk eggs, milk and spices along with salt and pepper.
2. Melt and heat butter in a non stick frying pan on medium high heat, I used my cast iron pan.
3. Pour egg mixture into the pan. When it starts to set lift up sides with spatula, tip pan and let the uncooked egg mixture slide beneath the cooked part.
4. When eggs are almost set, spread the pizza sauce over the top. Sprinkle on the tomatoes, green pepper and ham. Sprinkle cheese on top.
5. Place under a preheated broil setting in the oven, watching closely just until cheese is melted and golden in color. If using a non stick pan and you can't place it in the oven, just cover with a lid and cook for another minute or two to allow cheese to melt.

The Forecast

So here are some of the next meals I will be sharing with you...  The sharing of these depends on when I actually make it to the grocery store....  Yes, I still haven't gone, I think its been over two weeks now.  I dread taking the twins and Emma shopping.  Not that they misbehave but 2 infant car seats, a 4 year old and 2 carts.   I am WAY out numbered.  Then there is all the people that stop you to ask you if you have twins, and usually half way through a trip the smartass in me wants to reply, "no, I just happened to have 2 kids the same age that aren't twins."  Anyways, all that aside I am hope to hit the stores Monday"ish".

So the recipes in the future will be

Pea-prosciutto sauce with ravioli
Crispy bread sticks
Neapolitan ice cream sandwiches
Everything but the kitchen sink baked pasta
potato and farmer sausage
grilled summer ribs
Steak
Banana Cream Pie
Chocolate Meringue Pie
Pizza buns
ham and cheese pinwheels

Nothing sounds good lately.  I am uninspired.  I wish someone would do all my meal planning for me for like a week so I can have a "planning vaca".

Julia Child's Lobster Thermidor

Ingredients

• Covered, enameled or stainless steel kettle with tight-fitting cover or stainless steel saucepan
• enameled or 4-cup stainless steel saucepan
• 1/2-quart enameled
• Wooden spoon
• Wire whip
• 3-quart mixing bowl
• 12-inch enameled or stainless steel skillet
• Shallow roasting pan or fireproof serving platter

• 3 cups dry white wine or 2 cups dry white vermouth
• 2 cups water
• 1 large onion , thinly sliced
• 1 medium carrot , thinly sliced
• 1 stalk celery , thinly sliced
• 6 sprigs parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp. thyme
• 6 peppercorns
• 1 Tbsp. fresh or dried tarragon
• 3 live lobsters , 2 pounds each
• 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 5 Tbsp. butter
• 6 Tbsp. flour
• 1 Tbsp. cream
• 1 Tbsp. dry mustard
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 4 to 6 Tbsp. more whipping cream
• Pinch cayenne pepper

• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 1/3 cup cognac

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Swiss cheese
• 2 Tbsp. butter , cut into bits

Directions

Steaming the lobsters: Simmer wine, water, vegetables, herbs, and seasonings in the kettle for 15 minutes. Then bring to a rolling
boil and add the live lobsters. Cover and boil for about 20 minutes. The lobsters are done when they are bright red and the long head-feelers can be pulled from the sockets fairly easily.

While the lobsters are steaming, stew the mushrooms slowly in the covered saucepan with the butter, lemon juice, and salt for 10 minutes.

The sauce: When the lobsters are done, remove them from the kettle. Pour the mushroom cooking juices into the lobster steaming juices in the kettle and boil down rapidly until liquid has reduced to about 2 1/4 cups. Strain into the 4-cup enameled or stainless steel saucepan and bring to the simmer.

Cook the butter and flour slowly together in the 1 1/2-quart saucepan for 2 minutes without browning. Off heat, beat in the simmering lobster-cooking liquid. Boil, stirring, for 1 minute. Set aside. Film top of sauce with the cream.

Split the lobsters in half lengthwise, keeping the shell halves intact. Discard sand sacks in the heads, and the intestinal tubes. Rub lobster coral and green matter through a fine sieve into the mixing bowl, and blend into it the mustard, egg yolks, cream, and pepper. Beat the sauce into this mixture by driblets.

Return the sauce to the pan, and stirring with a wooden spoon, bring it to the boil and boil slowly for 2 minutes. Thin out with tablespoons of cream. Sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon fairly heavily. Taste carefully for seasoning. Set aside, top filmed with a spoonful of cream.

Sautéing the lobster meat: Remove the meat from the lobster tails and claws, and cut it into 3/8-inch cubes. Set the skillet with the butter over moderate heat. When the butter foam begins to subside, stir in the lobster meat and sauté, stirring slowly, for about 5 minutes until the meat has turned a rosy color. Pour in the cognac and boil for a minute or two, shaking the skillet, until the liquid has reduced by half.

Final assembly: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Fold the cooked mushrooms and two thirds of the sauce into the skillet with the lobster meat. Arrange the split lobster shells in the roasting pan. Heap the lobster mixture into the shells; cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and dot with butter. The recipe may be prepared ahead up to this point and refrigerated.

Place in upper third of 425-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until lobster is bubbling and the top of the sauce is nicely browned. Serve immediately on a platter or serving plates.

Copyright © 1961, 1983, 2001 by Alfred A. Knopf. Reprinted by arrangement with the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.

Sirloin with Teriyaki Broth

Ingredients

• 1 bunch radishes (with greens)
• 5 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 3 teaspoons grated peeled ginger
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless sirloin steak (about 1 1/2 inches thick)
• Vegetable oil, for the pan
• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts separated, cut into
• 1 1/2-inch pieces
• Toasted sesame oil, for drizzling
• Roughly chop the radish greens. Cut the radishes into eighths.

Directions

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Mix 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon ginger and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl, then spread over the steak. Lightly oil the grill pan, then cook the steak about 5 minutes per side for medium rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes, then thinly slice.

Meanwhile, bring the remaining 3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce and 2 teaspoons ginger, the vinegar, brown sugar and 2 1/2 cups water to a simmer in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the sweet potatoes, radish wedges and scallion whites and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the radish and scallion greens and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Divide the vegetables, broth and steak among shallow bowls. Drizzle with sesame oil.

Wareneki and Plum Wareneki

Wareneki

• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 4 egg whites. . .beaten until soft peaks form
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• about. . 2 1/2 cups of flour

Whip the egg whites in a large grease free bowl. . . add the whipping cream and the baking powder and the salt.

Add the flour a bit at a time. . I did mine in my standup mixer with a dough hook. . .but it can easily be accomplished with a spoon.

Continue to add a bit of flour at a time until you have a soft dough but stiff enough to roll out.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or so . .make the filling.

Cottage Cheese Filling

• 2 cups of dry cottage cheese
• the egg yolks from the eggs above
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix together with a pastry blender or put it all in the food processor and mix until the cottage cheese is finely ground. . not pureed.

Roll the dough out. . .on a slightly floured counter. Add a bit more flour if it is sticky.

Now. . you can either start at the top of you dough. . about 2 inches down. . and plop a teaspoon of filling every three inches. . leaving room between. . then fold the dough down and use a glass to cut out half moons. . and pinch them shut. .

Or. . just use a glass and cut out rounds and then use a small teaspoon and put a bit of filling on your dough and then fold in half and pinch shut. . try not to get filling in the area you are pinching shut. . this is a potential. . open in the bath escape area.

Put them on a floured parchment papered cookie sheet and keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready to boil them. . or. . freeze them on a cookie sheet to use another day .. I always tuck a few away. . .don't' tell my family that. . my beloved and I have a private party a few days later. . .

Now. . ..about the plum wareneki. . just slice the plums in half and then depending on how large you are making them. . slice them in half again. . and put them into the dough and pinch shut. .

I don't bother to flour them unless I use frozen plums. . they are a bit trickier to stuff and I find a little flour keeps them less leaky.

About 20 minutes before you are ready to eat. .

Put a large pot of water on to boil. . add a teaspoon of salt.

Start the sauce. . I know there are many various favorite sauces for wareneki. .but we still love the simple sauce of 1 cup of whipping cream to 1/4 cup butter. . bring to a boil and simmer a few minutes until it thickens. . .depending on how much you love your sauce . . you may need to make a double recipe of this.

Gently put the wareneki in the boiling water and bring it back to the boiling point. Boil only a few minutes.

Once the wareneki are floating they are done. .

Drain in a colander. . gently. . and serve. . a little melted butter helps to keep them from sticking. . we generally eat them too quickly to let them stick. .

I also saute some onions. . caramelized are quite yummy on the cottage cheese ones.

This meal is certainly not nutritionally sound. .aside from the eggs and the cottage cheese. . but a few now and then. . is so satisfying to the soul .. and isn't that good for something?

Zwieback

• 1  1/2 tablespoons yeast
•  1  teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup warm water

• 3 cups warm milk
• 1/4 cup instant potato flakes
• 3 Tablespoons Oil
• 1 cup soft butter (no substitutes)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 7 cups flour plus a little more for dusting your counter

1. Add the yeast and sugar to the warm water in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your dough mixer.  Allow to sit for ten minutes. .it should puff up.  If it doesn't start over. . the water should be more lukewarm than hot.
2. Heat the milk until it is also just warm. . room temperature is perfect.
3. Add the instant potato flakes and stir.
4. Add the milk mixture, the oil and the salt to the yeast in the large bowl.
5. Cut the butter into  3 cups of the flour with a pastry blender.
6. Add the butter and flour mixture to the yeast and milk mixture.
7. Add the remainder of the flour and allow the machine to knead until smooth.
8. If you are mixing by hand, turn the dough onto a floured counter once stirring becomes too difficult.
9. Knead to a smooth dough.
10. Put the dough into a large mixing bowl and cover. 
11. Let the dough double in bulk . . .about an hour.
12. You will need 3 large cookie sheets.  Line them with parchment paper or grease.
13. Take a piece of dough the size of a orange,  hold it in your left hand.  With your right hand, squeeze a bit of dough between your thumb and forefinger about the size of a walnut, pinch your thumb and forefinger together to squeeze it off.  With your right hand take the dough and place it on the pan.  Again, squeeze the dough between your thumb and forefinger, this time a smaller piece to make the top bun.  Squeeze it off and place it on top of your first bun.  With both your index fingers, press down through the top and bottom  buns to seal them together.  Repeat with all the dough.
14. Cover the buns with a clean tea towel  and let rise about an hour or until they have doubled.
15. Bake in a preheated 400 F oven for about 20 minutes.  If you have a convection oven, bake at 375 F for about 15 mintues or until golden brown.

Chipa

• 3 cups Tapioca Starch
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup of oil
• 2 cups of strong grated cheese, like Old Cheddar*
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together.
2. Add oil, beaten eggs with the milk and stir in till the dry ingredients are well moistened.
3. Put into greased muffin tins.
4. Bake at 350 til golden brown, 20-25 minutes.
5. I always bake them in mini muffin tins and they take about 15 minutes to get golden. I keep the mini muffin tins gluten free to avoid cross contamination, and my larger ones for flour.

*You can use any combination of cheese according to personal taste. Like adding a 1/2 cups of cottage cheese, mixed with Parmesan, or smoked Gouda Swiss, Jalapeno Pepper Jack perhaps? Change up the flavors once in a while for a new taste experience.

**Just a word of caution. It is gluten free, and if you don't eat them the day that they are made, they will certainly loose that soft, chewy goodness and become a bit dry and hard. So enjoy them right out of the oven and only make as many as you need. Using mini muffin tins is the way to go. The larger ones do not taste the same.

Raspberry Lemonade Punch

This is a refreshing punch that is not overly sweet. It's great in a pitcher or in a punch bowl for a large crowd.

For a pitcher full you'll need:

1- 12 ounce can of frozen pink lemonade
12 ounces of water
24 ounces of lemon-lime sparkling water
4 ounces frozen raspberries

Mix the frozen lemonade with the water before you add the sparkling water. Poor in the sparkling water slowly so you keep the fizz and mix in carefully. Add the raspberries and serve.

For a punch bowl triple the ingredients. When making this recipe for a punch bowl use 12 ounces of water to mix the frozen lemonade and then substitute ice for the rest of the water. Pour the sparkling water in slowly and add the 12 oz. bag of frozen raspberries. Enjoy!

For the sugared rim dip the glass rim upside in liquid and then rotate the rim in a bowl of coarse sugar.

Note: If you'd like the punch to be sweeter you can substitute regular lemon lime soda for some of the sparkling water.

Pelemeny

Pelemeny (Russian Version of Ravioli)

Filling:
1/2 lb. ground chicken

1/2 lb. ground veal, or lamb, or beef

1 medium onion grated

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Dough:
2 cups sifted flour

1 egg

1/3 cup water

Combine the two meats with onion. Add seasonings to taste and mix well and set aside.

Prepare Dough: In a small mixing bowl, sift the flour and a pinch of salt. Make a nest in the flour, add the egg which has been mixed with water. Work the flour into the egg and mix and then knead to a rather dry dough. Use more or less flour as needed. Roll dough very thin. Cut the dough into 2″ circles. Put a small ball of filling (about 1/2 tsp) onto each circle and fold over and pinch edges making a half-moon shape. Then pinch each corner up together.

Boil in your choice of broth. Add the Pelemeny to the boiling broth. When they are done they will surface like doughnuts. You can serve them with the broth like a soup or you can have them plain with some sour cream.

This recipe should feed 4-6 people.

A Mennonite Lunch

Klissen or Kielke

• 
  
  3 cups flour
• 
  
  1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 
  
  3 eggs
• 
  
  1/2 cup milk

Stir together the eggs and the milk and the salt. Slowly stir in the flour and then knead the dough until nice and smooth. Put into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for several hours or overnight.

Put a bit of flour on the counter and begin to roll the dough out quite thin .. adding more flour underneath as needed. You don't want the dough to stick, and adding too much flour won't be a problem.

Once it is rolled out. . .it can sit for several hours without problem. About 1 hour before dinner, spread a bit of flour over all the dough. Cut large strips about 2 inches wide across all the dough.

Stack about 4 or 5 strips at a time on top of one another as you can see in the above collage.

In a small saucepan, bring to boil, 1/2 cup butter and whipping cream and add a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Turn down to a simmer.

Saute, several large onions until golden brown.

Bring to boil, a large pot of salted water. Boil the noodles for a few minutes. . they don't take very long at all. Once they are floating. . .taste one to make sure it is done.

Drain into a colander .. .put in a large  bowl and pour the cream sauce over top, stir and serve with the onions on the side. . unless everyone loves onions.

potato puffs for breakfast

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup mashed potatoes, moistened and seasoned
• 2 eggs

1. Whisk together flour and baking powder.
2. Add mashed potatoes and mix.
3. Stir in beaten eggs and mix well.
4. Drop by spoonfuls and deep fry until golden and crispy which takes a few minutes. To check if they are done insert a toothpick in the center of a puff and if it comes clean, the puffs are done.
5. Serves 4

Cider-Brined Pork Chops

Ingredients

• Brine:
• 1 1/2  cups  hard apple cider
• 1/2  cup  kosher salt
• 1  tablespoon  dried rosemary
• 1  tablespoon  dried sage
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  dried thyme
• 1/2  teaspoon  whole black peppercorns

Glaze:

6 tablespoons apple jelly

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons Calvados or applejack (apple brandy)

4 Granny Smith apples, each cut into 6 wedges and cores removed

Preparation

1. In a large bowl mix the brine ingredients. Put the chops in a large, resealable plastic bag and pour in the brine. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Place the bag in a bowl or a rimmed dish and refrigerate for 1 to 1½ hours, turning the bag every 30 minutes.

2. Remove the chops from the bag and discard the brine. Rinse the chops under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Lightly brush or spray the chops with oil and let stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat.

3. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the jelly and butter, stirring until the jelly melts. Remove from the heat and stir in the Calvados. If the glaze cools, reheat gently until fluid. Set aside half of the glaze to serve as a sauce with the grilled pork. Brush the remaining glaze all over the apple slices and then the chops.

4. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the chops over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until they are slightly pink in the center, about 10 minutes, turning once. Remove the chops from the grill and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes. While they rest, grill the apples over direct medium heat until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes, turning once. Serve the chops and apples warm with the reserved glaze.

M.I.A.

So I've been M.I.A for a few days.  Sorry about that dinner consisted of left overs one night and burgers and chips another.  Nothing amazing at all.

For those of you who know me you know even though I was "born and raised" in southern California I was really raised back east.  Every summer as soon as school got out my brothers and I were sent to Chippewa Pennsylvania then to Pandora Ohio.  The combined population of these two towns maybe hit 1,000.

In Pennsylvania we visit with my Grandma and her husband John.  We spent most of our time on the Allegheny river with no AC and no TV and I loved it.  We cooked and fished and swam.  I miss those days.  I always got to stay longer there than my older brother.  He was quickly sent to Ohio to work on the family farm.  Where I was left to stay longer and got to visit Amish country!

In Pandora we stayed with our Great Grandma Bridenbaugh.  In the farmhouse my Great Grandfather built.  There was also a school house on the Farm from the 1880's as well.  You can google "bridenbaugh farm school house" if you want to see photos.  My Great Uncle has fully restored it.  The Farm was like a time warp and I regret not being there more now that I am older.  It was like being in the 1920's.  I should start out by saying my great grandparents were Mennonites- which is very close to Amish. My Great Grandma cooked all here meals from scratch. Amazing meals.  The only time were ever went to eat was after church we went to Dairy Queen.  The was the treat you looked forward to all week. 

During the week the boys worked hard bailing hay, tending pigs, and corn fields.  For lunch my great grandmother cooked for all the farm hands.  It was an all morning event.  We pick black berries, rolled dough and cooked.  All in a house with no tv, no ac, nothing but a beautiful farm house.  Why is life not that simple anymore?  Why cant I whisk my kids a away to a place like Pandora that is so small its not even called a town but a "village" when you look it up.

Anyways I've beena little emotional longing for this stuff lately.  I am sure its a combination of moving to Central Florida to have a simpler life for our family and the passing of my grandmother the one whos mother was the woman on the farm that washed her paper plates as to not be wasteful.

I think about all these great people and how they survived the depression and learned to make due with what God gave them and then I look at the situation now that our country is in despair but they keep spending money. Ok well this is turning into a rant so I will stop now.  I will be posting the pork chops I am making tonight and figure out a game plan for the rest of the week,

Next time I go to the store to shop in will be for a week on Mennonite meals!  Time to remember the greats!

One last question, whats your monthly grocery budget?  Ours is $200- just curious what yours is.

Juicy Shrimp with roasted chili and avacado sauce

Ingredients

• Sauce:
• 3  Anaheim chile peppers, each about 6 inches long
• 1  medium Haas avocado
• 1/4  cup  sour cream
• 1/4  cup  mayonnaise
• 2  tablespoons  roughly chopped fresh dill
• 1  large garlic clove
• 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

Rub (yes this is the same rub as from the chicken):

• 1  teaspoon  granulated garlic
• 1  teaspoon  paprika
• 3/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the chile peppers over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until they are blackened and blistered in spots all over, 8 to 12 minutes, turning occasionally. Put the chiles in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let steam for 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the stem ends, skins, and seeds. Drop the chiles into a food processor or blender. Add the remaining sauce ingredients. Process to create a smooth dipping sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, add a little water. Spoon the sauce into a serving bowl.

2. In a small bowl mix the rub ingredients.

3. Lay 5 to 7 shrimp on a work surface and arrange them so that the shrimp on one end lays one way and all the rest lay in the same direction (see photo at left). Choose shrimp that are the same size so that you can nestle them together with no empty spaces between them. This will help to keep the shrimp from spinning and prevent them from drying out on the grill. Pick up and skewer each shrimp through the middle, pushing the shrimp together on each skewer. Repeat the process with the remaining shrimp and skewers. Lightly brush or spray the skewers with oil and then season them evenly with the rub.

4. Increase the temperature of the grill to high heat. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the shrimp over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until slightly firm on the surface and opaque in the center, 2 to 4 minutes, turning once. Remove from the grill and serve warm with the dipping sauce.

bbq chicken

Ingredients

• Sauce:
• 2  tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2  cup  finely chopped yellow onion
• 2  teaspoons  minced garlic
• 1  cup  ketchup
• 1/2  cup  lemon-lime carbonated beverage (not diet)
• 1/4  cup  fresh lemon juice
• 1/4  cup  light brown sugar, packed
• 2  tablespoons  whole-grain mustard

Rub:

• 2  teaspoons  smoked paprika
• 2  teaspoons  kosher salt
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2  teaspoon  granulated garlic
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the oil, onion, and garlic until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and stir to combine. Bring the sauce to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cook until slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often.

2. In a small bowl mix the rub ingredients. Sprinkle the rub evenly all over the chicken pieces. Let the chicken stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. Prepare the grill for direct and indirect cooking over medium heat. Triple Play Barbecued Chicken

3. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the chicken, skin side down, over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Move the chicken pieces over indirect medium heat. Drain and scatter the wood chips over the lit charcoal or put them in the smoker box of a gas grill, following manufacturer's instructions. Continue to grill the chicken, with the lid closed, for about 20 minutes. Then brush both sides with a thin layer of the sauce and cook until the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink at the bone, about 15 minutes, occasionally turning and brushing with the sauce. Serve warm or at room temperature with the remaining sauce on the side

Strip Streaks with Red-Eye BBQ Sauce

(Yep Need to get a new cutting board if I am going to keep with the photos)

Ingredients

• Sauce:
• 1  tablespoon  unsalted butter
• 2  teaspoons  minced shallot
• 1  teaspoon  minced garlic
• 1  cup  ketchup
• 1/4  cup  brewed dark-roast coffee or espresso
• 1  tablespoon  balsamic vinegar
• 1  tablespoon  brown sugar
• 2  teaspoons  ground ancho chile powder

Preparation

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot and cook, stirring often, until it begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the rest of the sauce ingredients, bring to a simmer, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring often, until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
2. Lightly brush the steaks on both sides with the oil. Season evenly with the salt and pepper. Let the steaks stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat.
3. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the steaks over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until cooked to your desired doneness, 6 to 8 minutes for medium rare, turning once. Remove from the grill and let the steaks rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Serve the steaks warm with the sauce on the side.

Pizza with Mushrooms, Pepers, Garlic, and Smoked Mozzarella

 

(sorry my cutting board isn't the best photo background)

Ingredients

• Dough:
• 1 1/2  cups  warm water (100° to 110°F)
• 1  package rapid-rise active dry yeast
• 1/2  teaspoon  granulated sugar
• 4 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 3  tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil
• 2  teaspoons  kosher salt

Preparation

1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine the water, yeast, and sugar. Stir briefly and let stand for 5 minutes or until the top surface has a thin, frothy layer (this indicates that the yeast is active). Add the flour, oil, and salt. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and mix on low speed for about 1 minute or until the dough begins to come together. Increase the speed to medium. Continue to mix until the dough is slightly sticky, smooth, and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Turn it over to coat all sides and tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, 1½ to 2 hours.

2. In a large bowl mix ¼ cup oil with the salt and pepper. Place the garlic cloves in the middle of a small sheet of aluminum foil, about 8 inches square, and pour 1 tablespoon of the oil mixture over the garlic. Fold up the sides to make a sealed packet, leaving a little room for the expansion of steam.

3. Add all the peppers and mushrooms to the bowl with the remaining oil mixture. Toss to coat the vegetables evenly.

4. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat. Preheat a perforated grill pan over direct medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. While the pan is preheating, place the packet of garlic over direct medium-high heat and cook until the cloves are soft and light brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the packet from the grill. When the grill pan is really hot, using tongs, lift the mushrooms and peppers from the bowl and spread them out in a single layer on the pan. Cook until they are nicely browned and tender, about 6 minutes, stirring once or twice. Wearing insulated barbecue mitts, remove the pan from the grill and set it down on a heat-proof surface.

5. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Lightly brush eight, 9-inch squares of parchment paper on one side with oil. Using your fingers, flatten each piece of dough on a sheet of parchment paper to create 8 rounds. Each round should be about 1⁄3 inch thick and 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Lightly brush the tops with oil. Let the rounds sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes.

6. Lower the temperature of the grill to medium heat. Brush the cooking grates clean. Working with 4 rounds at a time, place the dough on the cooking grate with the paper sides facing up. Grill over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the dough is well marked and firm on the underside, 2 to 5 minutes, rotating as needed for even cooking. Peel off and discard the parchment paper. Transfer the crusts to a work surface with the grilled sides facing up. Repeat with the other 4 rounds.

7. Spread the cheese evenly over the crusts and then arrange some garlic, mushrooms, and pepper slices on top. Return the pizzas to the grill and cook over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the crusts are crisp, 2 to 5 minutes, rotating the pizzas occasionally for even cooking. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into wedges. Serve warm.

Chicken and Dumplings

Best part of living in the South is Southern Cooking!

Here's one of my fav!

Ingredients

• 1  3 1/2- to 4-pound rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
• 1  10-ounce package frozen mixed vegetables
• 1  10.75-ounce can condensed cream-of-mushroom soup
• 1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1  10-count tube refrigerated biscuits

Preparation

Heat oven to 400° F.

Combine the chicken, vegetables, soup, salt, pepper, and 3/4 cup water in a large bowl. Transfer the mixture to an oven-safe casserole, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. After 15 minutes, place the biscuits on a baking sheet and bake until the biscuits are golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove both the casserole and the biscuits from the oven. Uncover the casserole, place the biscuits on top, and serve.

Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Onion

 

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon  vegetable oil
• 1  1-lb. pork tenderloin
• Salt and pepper
• 1  tablespoon  unsalted butter
• 3  Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/4-inch wedges
• 1  medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1  teaspoon  dried thyme
• 1  cup  apple cider
• 1/2  cup  heavy cream, warmed

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF; line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and mist with cooking spray. Warm oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper and cook, turning with tongs, until browned on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes total. Transfer to baking sheet and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat registers 155ºF, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.

2. Melt butter in same skillet (don't wash or wipe out skillet). Add apples and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until softened and beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape into bowl, add onion and thyme to skillet, and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Pour in cider and cream and bring to a boil, stirring to incorporate browned bits on bottom of skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.

3. Return apples to skillet and heat through, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper. Slice pork and serve with sauce.

The Plan for the next few days...

Tuesday- Pork with onions and apples
Wednesday-Chicken and Dumplings
Thursday- Strip Steak with Red Eye BBQ sauce
Friday- Grilled Pizza with mushrooms, garlic and smoked mozzarella
Saturday-Left overs
Sunday- BBQ Chicken
Monday-Juicy Shrimp with roasted chili and avocado sauce
Tuesday- Cider brined pork chops with grilled apples

I got a new BBQ so my menu kind of reflects that with 5 meals being prepared on the grill.  I'm excited :)

Another Rainy day

So we are on day number 1,000,000 (actually only day 9) of pouring rain.  We all are suffering from cabin fever.  So as it pours I made Chicken Noodle Soup.  Chicken Noodle Soup always seems to make everything a little bit better.

• 1 (3 1/2-pound) whole chicken
• 3 quart(s) low-sodium chicken broth
• 6 carrots, peeled
• 4 stalk(s) celery, ends trimmed
• 3 medium onions, peeled
• 5 black peppercorns
• 1 clove(s) garlic, crushed
• 10 sprig(s) parsley
• 2 sprig(s) thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter
• 4 leeks, tops and root ends removed
• 1 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground pepper
• 3 cup(s) (5 ounces) medium egg noodles

Directions

1. Make the stock: Place the chicken and chicken broth in a large stockpot and set it over medium heat. Roughly chop 2 carrots, 2 celery ribs, and 1 onion and add to the broth. Add the peppercorns, garlic, 2 sprigs of parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and enough water to just cover the chicken. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the chicken is very tender -- about 1 1/4 hours -- skimming the surface periodically. Remove the chicken and place in a large bowl. Strain the broth through a very fine sieve into a large, clean bowl or stockpot. Discard the vegetables
2. Make the soup: Skim any fat off the top of the strained broth and discard. Slice the remaining carrots, celery, onions, and leeks into 1/4-inch-thick pieces and set aside. Remove and discard the skin and bones from the chicken, cut meat into 1/2-inch pieces, and set aside. Chop the remaining parsley leaves and set aside. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook until the onions are translucent -- about 7 minutes. Add the chicken, the reserved broth, salt, and pepper. Simmer the soup until the vegetables are tender -- about 1 hour. Stir in the egg noodles and parsley and cook until the noodles are tender -- about 10 more minutes. Serve hot.

Repurposing

So normally half the food I cook I put in the freezer for a second meal later in the month.  Well I did this with the chowder and shredded beef but not the rest of the pork roast.  So Ill be making bbq pork sandwiches for dinner.

Shred pork
dice onions
bbq sauce

Add all ingredients to a skillet and cook until warmed through.  Place meat on a hamburger bun and enjoy.

Corn Cowder and Shrimp

Perfect for this storming day

Ingredients

• 4  cups  low-sodium chicken broth
• 2  16-oz. bags frozen corn
• 1  onion, finely chopped
• 1  red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2  carrots, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
• 2  russet potatoes, diced
• 1  bay leaf
• Salt and pepper
• 1  pound  medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2  cup  heavy cream, optional
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Combine chicken broth, corn, onion, bell pepper, carrots, potatoes, bay leaf, 1 cup water and 1 tsp. salt in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until vegetables are tender, about 6 hours.
2. Puree 3 cups of soup in a blender and return to slow cooker. Stir in shrimp. Cover and cook until shrimp are pink and firm, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in cream, if desired, and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Whats a Super Bowl without Potato Skins

Potato Skins
3 pounds of baking potatoes
1 pound bacon
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Monterey Jack and Colby blend cheese
1 bunch chives
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Wash and scrub 3 pounds of small/medium baking potatoes. Place on baking sheet and pierce each potato several times with a fork. Bake at 425 degrees for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, fry bacon in frying pan until crispy. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Transfer to cutting board and cut into medium-sized chunks. Set aside.

Once potatoes are finished, allow them to cool slightly. Then, cut potatoes in half and arrange back on baking sheet. Scoop out a small amount of the potato filling from each potato half and place in small bowl. Save filling for other use. (I use this filling to make Cheesey Mash Potato Bake later in the week.)

Brush melted butter onto both sides of each potato half (including skin side) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in 425 degree oven for 8 minutes. Remove potato skins from oven.

Add bacon evenly to potato skins, and using a pair of kitchen scissors, cut chives over each potato skin. Add generous amounts of cheese on top of bacon and chives. Return the potato skins to the oven for 5 minutes - or until cheese has completely melted.

Add additional freshly ground pepper, if desired, and serve with sour cream.

Super Bowl Prep

We are invited to a superbowl party so I've started prepping all the food we are taking.  Chips and salsa is one of the things I am getting ready.

Heres how to make baked tortilla chips

Homemade Baked Tortilla Chips

1 small package of white corn tortillas, taco size, cut into triangles
Cooking spray-we use a canola oil spray
Salt-to taste

1. Preheat the broiler to high. Put corn tortilla triangles on a large baking sheet. Don’t overlap the chips. If you want to make a large batch, fill a second pan and only bake one at a time.

2. Spray the triangles lightly with cooking spray. Turn over triangles and spray again. Sprinkle with salt, to taste.

3. Bake in the oven for about 3-4 minutes. Turn chips over and bake for another five minutes, or until chips are golden brown and crisp. Make sure you don’t go too far while the chips are in the oven. They will bake quickly!

4. Cool and serve with guacamole, salsa, or eat them plain.

Paula Deans Homemade Salsa reciepe

Ingredients

• 3 large ripe tomatoes, diced or 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juice
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, seeds and veins removed, and minced
• 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles with juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Other ingredients you may want to add:

• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 large avocado, peeled and diced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 mango, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup pineapple chunks
• 2 limes, juiced

Directions

Combine all ingredients, and any extra ingredients you may want to add, in a large glass bowl. Stir well with a spoon. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until serving time.

Serve with baked Tortilla Chips.

Burgers and Chips

Emma's pick of the week is krabby patties with cheese and coral bits.  So heres whats cooking for dinner!

You will need:

Equipment:

• A bowl
• A sharp knife
• A cutting board
• A skillet or heavy frying pan ( or a Grill )

Ingredients:

• 1lb ground sirloin
• 1 half onion grated or finely chopped
• 4 pinches ground coriander
• 4 pinches paprika powder
• A dash of fresh ground black pepper
• A pinch of salt
• A tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg lightly beaten

First, mix all the ingredients in a bowl and using your hands, shape into four balls. Turn the heat to medium under the skillet and add a tiny amount of oil. When the skillet is hot, add the burgers, pushing them flat with a spatula. Cook for about 3 minutes each side for medium rare, longer for well done and less for rare.

Just before the burgers are ready, toast the inside of the buns under a broiler or over a grill or in a toaster. If using a grill or broiler, spread a little butter on the buns first. Add ypour toppings and serve.

And now for the best part....the chips!

You will need:

Equipment:

• A wide, thick based, tall saucepan
• A frying basket
• A serving dish
• A sharp knife
• A butcher block cutting board
• Paper towels

Ingredients:

• Potatoes
• Oil – Peanut oil is best.
• Salt

First, peel the potatoes and slice them into chips. Cut them lengthwise, about ½ inch thick, and then cut them into slices about ¼ inch wide. Fatter is healthier. Put the sliced potatoes in a bowl of cold water to cover them We will wash the excess starch off in the water. Leave them to soak while the oil is heating.

Now, pour the oil into the pan, making sure that it doesn’t come more than a third of the way up the pan. This is also important – If there is too much oil in the pan, there is a risk of the oil bubbling over the top. This we do not want.

Next, heat the oil on a high heat to around 375F. If you do not have a thermometer, just drop a small piece of potato in the oil – when it floats, the oil is hot enough.

When the oil is hot, dry the potatoes thoroughly, place in a frying basket and lower them into the oil slowly.

When the chips are covered, and the bubbling has stopped, cover the pan and cook the chips for about 6 minutes. This is to blanch the potatoes and do the actual cooking. They should not be brown when you stop this, just cooked. Now take the chips out of the pan and allow the oil to heat back up to around 390F.

When the oil has reheated, put the chips back in the pan to brown.

This should only take a couple of minutes. A soon as they turn golden brown, remove them and place on paper towels in the serving dish. After a few seconds, the excess fat will drain of into the towels. Remove the towels, sprinkle the chips with a little salt and serve hot. They must be served immediately, or they will go soggy

Pizza Party Lunch

With all the rain we've been having we needed a little pick me up.  So we made homemade pizza and watched Princess and the Frog.  Now all the wee-ones are sleeping.. yay!

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pizza ingredients
• Stand Mixer
• 18" pizza pan or pizza stone
• Hungry appetite

1. 3 cups all purpose bread flour
   (Enough dough for x 3 pizzas)
   1 1/4 cups water
   1 package of self rising yeast
   3 tablespoons of honey
   1/2 can Hunts Zesty and Spicy Classic Spaghetti Sauce
   1/2 lb Mozzarella Cheese
   Onion
   Sea Salt
   Baby Portabella mushrooms
   Oregano
   Basil
   Garlic
   Extra Virgin Olive Oil
   
   Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees. You will use your stand mixer, combine the bread flour, self-rising yeast, water and honey, mix well. After the dough has been mixed, apply a small amount of olive oil to the mixing bowl and onto the dough. Set aside and allow the dough to rise (approximately 15-20 minutes). Separate the dough into 1/3 which will make 1 pizza. Add olive oil to your circular pizza pan. Place the dough onto the greased pizza pan (using olive oil), pound the dough with a hamburger flipper into a circle.
2. Apply the Hunts Zesty & Spicy Classic Spaghetti Sauce on top of the dough, add the mozzarella cheese and all desired remaining toppings. Finally, add the salt, oregano, basil, garlic, salt & pepper.
3. Bake your pizza for 15-20 minutes at 450 degrees and ENJOY!

Chinese Roast Pork

Today is going much smoother than yesterday (knock on wood).  So a day late here is whats for dinner tonight, Chinese Roast Pork!

Whatcha need:
1 3lb boneless pork loin
Salt and Pepper
2 tsp cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tsp packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons chinese 5 spice

How you do it:
Trim pork of excess fat and season with salt and pepper.  Warm oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add pork and brown all sides

Transfer pork to (your almighty) crockpot.  Add onion, garlic and Ginger to the skillet, stirring, until soft. I think about 3-4 minutes.  Add soy sauce, brown sugar, and five spice.  Cook stirring until sugar is dissolved.  This happens pretty quick.  Pour sauce over pork.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.  Remove pork to a cutting board, tent with foil and let stand 10 minutes.  Thinly slice against the grain and serve.

Best part about it, is that your house smells yummy all day! 

Substitution! Yep life interrupted planning

Ok, ok I know I was suppose to be making Chinese pork roast for dinner..  well long story short it didn't happen.  So I had to use my all time fall back meal.  We all have one.  Mine happens to be Paula Deans Mac and Cheese.  You can come over to my house any time request this and I will have everything needed to make it...  Anyways  here it is..

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (an 8-ounce box isn't quite 2 cups)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stuck) butter, cut into pieces
2 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Then add drained macaroni and stir again. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

I hope your dinner plans went smoother then mine.  At least we still had a yummy meal :)

A breakfast treat!

Cinnamon Rolls!  I aplogozie in advance that this recipe is in metric.  My favorite cook is british!  I love Nigella Lawson and this is her verison of yumminess.

Ingredients

• 400gr Flour
• 25gr fresh Yeast
• 200ml lukewarm Milk
• 40g Sugar
• 70g soft Butter
• 1/4tsp Salt
• 2tsp Cinammon

Topping:

• 100g soft Butter
• 70gr Sugar
• 1Tbsp Cinammon

Method

1. Put the flower into a bowl, crumble the yeast in, pour in some milk and mix up with the yeast. Cover it and rest for 10 minutes.
2. Add the other ingredients for the dough and knead everything into a smooth dough. Cover and let it rise for at least 20 minutes (1 hour is better).
3. Gently press dough down and, on a floured surface, roll into a roughly 30x70 cm rectangle. Mix the ingredients for the filling and spread evenly on the dough. Roll up from one long side, then cut your roll into 5cm long strips.
4. Press down the the flat side of the knife in the middle of the rolls, so that the centre goes down and the cut sides open up a bit.
5. Put rolls on a parchmented baking sheet and let them rise for another 10 minutes or so. Preheat the oven to 225C, eggwash the rolls and bake the rolls for ca. 12 minutes.

Serves: about 10 - 12 rolls

Everyone was thrilled with their treat this morning